The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
